Pentagon Searches Protected Medical Records To Find Trans Troops and Remove Them From Military Service

Documents obtained by Federal News Network indicate that the Office of the Secretary of Defense has identified service members who 'may have a current diagnosis or history of or exhibit symptoms consistent with gender dysphoria' in their electronic healthcare records.

Sources told the outlet they believe the military is using MHS Genesis and other databases to identify service members whose records contain relevant diagnoses or treatment histories. MHS Genesis contains medical histories, prescriptions, mental health notes and records of civilian care covered by TRICARE. Personnel databases can also contain historical changes to a service member's listed gender.

An internal Air Force email dated 31 July reportedly showed information being passed to commanders. One separation referral obtained by Federal News Network allegedly quoted from an airman's health history, including details relating to previous treatment for gender dysphoria.

The airman said they had not shared those details with colleagues and did not currently experience gender dysphoria.

Not everyone identified through the process is necessarily transgender. Federal News Network reported that the search has also flagged some service members who are not transgender, including people whose medical histories contain certain procedures or diagnoses that can trigger scrutiny.

The distinction is significant because gender dysphoria and being transgender are not interchangeable. The American Psychiatric Association says not all transgender people experience gender dysphoria, while the Pentagon's policy focuses on current or past diagnoses and symptoms rather than transgender identity alone.

Transgender Troops in the US Under Attack

SPARTA estimates that thousands of transgender troops have been discharged or are currently going through separation proceedings. Separately, the Department of Defense estimated that about 4,200 service members had gender dysphoria when the ban was introduced. Other estimates of the number of transgender people serving in the military have ranged from about 6,000 to 25,000.

Federal News Network reported that SPARTA and Rashid believe several hundred service members have been identified during the latest sweep. The figures are estimates and do not represent a confirmed Pentagon count of people being separated under the current process.

The military's approach has also changed over time.

A March 2025 Defense Department memo said medical records would be the 'primary means' of identifying troops with a history of gender dysphoria. A May memo instructed military departments to work with medical personnel to identify affected service members and allowed individual medical-record reviews in certain circumstances.

Separation Process Raises Questions About Medical Privacy

The use of medical information has raised concerns about privacy within the military, although health privacy rules are different from those governing civilian patients in some respects.

HIPAA contains a limited military-command exception that can allow certain protected health information to be disclosed to appropriate command authorities when necessary for military functions. The Privacy Act also governs the use and disclosure of federal records. Those rules do not give commanders unrestricted access to service members' medical histories.

That distinction is reflected in an Army order obtained by Federal News Network. The order reportedly prohibits commanders from conducting broad searches of health and personnel records or requesting batches of information about people in their units.

It also restricts behavioural health consultations conducted solely to establish whether a service member has gender dysphoria unless commanders already have other information indicating a possible diagnosis.

The reported identification process therefore involves higher-level military and medical systems as well as branch-specific procedures, rather than unrestricted searches by individual commanders.

Federal law also provides specific confidentiality protections for voluntarily sought mental health care, subject to an exigent-circumstances exception.

That exception applies when the Defense Department determines that preventing serious harm to an individual or an essential military function clearly outweighs the need for confidentiality. Rashid argues the exception should not apply to transgender service members being separated under the policy.

The Pentagon, Defense Health Agency and individual military branches declined to answer Federal News Network's questions, citing ongoing litigation.

How Separation Procedures Will Take Place

Once a relevant diagnosis or history has been verified, separation procedures differ between military branches. Army units have set periods to process a soldier for separation, while separation boards can review contested cases. The Navy and Marine Corps have their own procedures, including opportunities for sailors to request a board.

The boards are directed to determine whether a service member has been diagnosed with, or has symptoms of, gender dysphoria rather than assessing their character or job performance.

For some troops, separation could also create financial and housing difficulties. Federal News Network reported that junior enlisted service members with shorter periods of service may be ineligible for separation pay and could face repayment of some enlistment bonuses.

The legal challenge continues in federal court. In June, the DC Circuit addressed the application of an injunction in Talbott v. USA involving current and prospective service members. The administration has continued seeking permission to implement its policy while the litigation proceeds.

The Trump administration last month asked the Supreme Court to intervene and allow the policy to take effect while the legal challenge continues. The Justice Department argued that the military's authority to determine who may serve in the armed forces presents an issue of exceptional importance.

For service members facing separation, the legal dispute is unfolding alongside the prospect of losing careers they expected to continue. One sailor told Federal News Network that the military had been 'my life' and 'my everything', adding that they had given their 'entire self' to their job and country.